Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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The Buccaneers have a handful of standout defenders, but there's a rookie whose name will be quite familiar to Vikings fans. What kind of impact has Antoine Winfield, Jr., made in his first season?
CP: That guy is incredible. It doesn't feel like he's a rookie at all. Coaches have been singing his praises like crazy, both for his play on the field and for the way he approaches everything. Very humble, very hard-working, very coachable … all the things these coaches want and love. He's not a big attention-seeking guy. He's come in so levelheaded, and without an offseason or preseason. Of all the years that rookies should not have succeeded early, he came out in Week 1 and earned the starting job and proved why. He's made big splash plays, and there hasn't been one second where he has looked like a rookie. I can't imagine what his future potentially holds, and we are very excited to have him here."
Both Minnesota (6-6) and Tampa Bay (7-5) would be in the NFC playoffs if the season ended today. And both teams can strengthen their claim toward a playoff spot by getting a win Sunday. How much have the Buccaneers talked about the importance of this game for postseason purposes?
CP: Bruce Arians was asked about that this week and he said it was a "huge game." Bruce isn't always the kind of guy to give a lot of hype to things, so for him to say that was actually a pretty big statement. They know they essentially holds their future in their hands. If the Bucs win out, they are guaranteed a spot. And even if they win three of four, it looks pretty good and might depend on seeding.
This particular game against the Vikings is the singular most important game, by far. You can solidify your spot and get some people trying to come from behind you and chase you down off your back. I like that this is the first game of these last four, because it will really tell them how important the rest of the games are and what they need to do. If the Bucs were to lose Sunday, they'd probably feel the need to win out. But a win would give them a little cushion, and it wouldn't feel as dramatic to lose one. This is a huge one, and I feel like the timing is really unfortunate since the Vikings have gone from 1-5 to being on our heels here."